Federer and Henin-Hardenne Confirm Their Dominance To End Tennis Season

Roger Federer completed his amazing 2006 tennis season with his 92nd match win, over American #1 James Blake, to win his 3rd ATP Masters Series Championship title 6-0, 6-3, 6-4. It wasthe Swiss player's twelfth title of the year. Federer is so far ahead of the rest of the field that even if he did not play until March he would remain the World's #1 player. This is significant because on February 26, 2007 he will break Jimmy Connors 25-year-old record of 160 consecutive weeks (over 6 years!) at #1. Federer was in the finals of all four Grand Slam tennis tournaments this year, winning the Australian, Wimbledon and the US Open, for the second time in one year (he also won the same 3 majors in 2004). Federer only lost 5 times all year (four times to Rafael Nadal, and once to Andy Murray). Over the last three years he is an incredible 247-15 with thirty four titles, the single most dominant period in men's tennis in the Open era.

Justine Henin-Hardenne ("the Roger Federer of the women's game" as John McEnroe likes to say) was also able to appear in all four Grand Slam finals of the year, although the diminutive Belgian was able to do what "The Mighty Federer" could not, namely win at Roland Garros. She lost to Amelie Mauresmo in Australia and London, and to Maria Sharapova in New York. Last week, Henin-Hardenne and Mauresmo played for the final of a very important tournament with one million dollars on the line and this time Henin-Hardenne won easily 6-4, 6-3. Justine won 6 tournaments and appeared in 10 finals of the 13 tournaments she entered, compiling a 60-8 record.

However, both tennis phenomenons were able to win their tour ending championships and cement their status at the top of their respective tours. Federer was able to get revenge against his arch-nemesis Nadal in probably one of the best matches of the year in the semifinals.

It should be noted that James Blake had an incredible year winning 5 titles and ending up the year as the Tennis Player #4 in the World.